


My Own Worst Enemy

by china_shop



Series: Clone fic [2]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Clones, Crack, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:36:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6184483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/china_shop/pseuds/china_shop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unsurprisingly, Neal's clone is a con.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Own Worst Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> A sequel to [the other clone fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6048376). (Sorry Kanarek13 and Sherylyn, this doesn't get porny. Mea culpa.)
> 
> Thanks to mergatrude for beta.

“Wait, so Kate’s mother licensed you and then planned to kill you?” said Elizabeth, shocked.

“Yeah.” Neal’s clone sat at the dining table, making big sad puppy eyes at her and looking pathetic. “But Adler killed Kate instead. I’ve been on the run ever since. On my own.”

“Poor baby. Let me heat you some more soup,” said Elizabeth, rubbing the clone’s shoulder.

Neal rolled his eyes, revolted by his clone’s shameless ploy to garner sympathy. To top it off, when Elizabeth’s back was turned, the clone sent him a sly wink. Neal gritted his teeth and went out onto the patio to breathe.

He was staring at the sky, trying to decide what to do, when Peter followed him out. “What’s wrong?”

“You can’t trust him.”

“Neal, he’s you.”

Neal swallowed the denial that sprang to his lips. “That’s how I know.”

“You’re saying we shouldn’t trust either of you.” Peter’s eyebrows twitched, and he moved closer. 

Neal felt trapped and helpless, then realized with disgust that he was making the exact same puppy eyes. He looked through the window; Elizabeth was placing a bowl of soup on the table and smoothing the clone’s hair. 

“Are there any more of you out there?” asked Peter at his shoulder.

It was a nasty thought. If Kate’s mom had accessed the bioware, who else had? “I don’t know. I’m the original, Peter.”

“I know,” said Peter easily. “I know you.”

Neal tried to smile, but it was a weak attempt. 

Peter pursed his lips. “What do you want to do with him?”

“I don’t know.” The clone had his own life, his own feelings. Decommissioning seemed cruel, however much his presence was treading on Neal’s emotional toes. “You know, he offered to swap places with me. Wear the anklet, serve out my sentence.”

“He _what_? No.” Peter grabbed Neal’s shoulder as if to stop him from disappearing.

“I turned him down.” He turned toward Peter, making Peter’s grip into a half-embrace. “I don’t want to run anymore, Peter.”

Peter was frowning. “Why would he even want that?”

They both looked through the window, where Elizabeth was sitting next to the clone, listening and nodding sympathetically, radiating warmth and fondness. 

“If he’s planning to con El, he’d better have a damned good exit strategy,” said Peter tightly. 

“He doesn’t want to _con_ her,” said Neal. It risked revealing too much, but he couldn’t leave Peter unprepared for the advances of his double. Forewarned was forearmed.

“What, then?” Peter narrowed his eyes.

“And not just Elizabeth. You too.”

“Steal from us?”

“No. Steal you.” Neal looked away, down at the ground, unseeing. Licked his lips. “He wants—he wants what I want. He just doesn’t understand why he shouldn’t go after it.”

The words fell like invisible snowflakes, melting before they even landed.

“But you do,” said Peter quietly, after a moment. His hand was still on Neal’s shoulder, a weight like responsibility. 

Neal met his gaze. It was too late to try to hide. “Most of the time.”

“Neal.” Peter sighed, and for a moment, Neal couldn’t tell if it was impatience or disappointment or the familiar exasperation, but Peter was still standing close, still almost holding him. And when he spoke again, his voice was so low and rough, it made Neal’s mouth go dry. “Listen, there are some things it’s okay to want. To ask for. That’s not stealing.”

Neal edged closer. “It would be if _he_ took them.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. El knows he’s not you.”

“Would it make a difference,” asked Neal carefully, “if it was me?”

Peter’s throat moved as he swallowed. “Of course it would make a difference.”

Neal reached out and touched his cheek, asking the next question without words, and Peter’s eyes fell shut in answer, and Neal couldn’t help himself, despite all the reasons he should. Reasons Mozzie had spent nearly an hour enumerating only that afternoon. Neal leaned in and kissed him, a brush of lips on lips that was the culmination of years of subconscious longing. Peter’s hand tightened painfully on Neal’s shoulder, and he was breathing fast, but otherwise he didn’t react, didn’t pull away or push for more. 

“You have to be sure about this,” he said.

“I’m sure.” Neal kissed him again, and this time, Peter’s control snapped, and his arms came around Neal like steel vines, pulling him hard up against Peter’s body, and Neal slid his fingers into Peter’s short hair and kissed back, giving him everything—

“Hey!” said a voice, at once familiar and unfamiliar.

Neal and Peter broke apart, and Neal whirled around to see Elizabeth and the clone standing in the doorway watching. The clone was frowning.

“We had a plan,” he said. “You said foursome.”

“You said _what_?!” yelped Elizabeth and Peter in perfect unison.

Neal shrugged unrepentantly at his clone. “I lied.”

 

END


End file.
